On the origin of the increased tissue iron content in graded magnesium deficiency states in the rat

Abstract

To investigate the mechanism of tissue Fe accumulation in graded Mg deficiency rats were fed on diets of different Mg contents (70, 110, 208, 330, and 850 mg Mg/kg) for 10, 20, and 30 d during rapid growth. There was no significant impact of Mg deficiency or high luminal Mg concentrations on intestinal59Fe transferin vitroorin vivo. Plasma Mg concentrations and body weight started to decrease after 10 d. Significant haemolytic anaemia was observed after 20 d with siderosis in liver and spleen developing in parallel. Anaemia showed no features of Fe deficiency or infiammation. Comparison between the 70 mg Mg/kg group and animals that received the same quantity of a Mg-adequate diet (850 mg Mg/kg) permitted estimation of quantities of Fe liberated by haemolysis and the increased Fe content in liver and spleen. Both variables showed a high degree of correlation, indicating that the excess of liberated haemoglobin Fe was stored in the tissue. The erythropoietic activity was high during rapid growth, i.e. at days 10 and 20 and decreased significantly after 30 d in all except the most Mg-deficient groups. However, haemolytic anaemia developed because even the high erythropoietic activity in the 70 and 110 mg Mg/kg groups was not sutlicient to recycle all haemoglobin Fe liberated by haemolysis. After 30 d of Mg-deficient feeding the erythrocyte Mg content had decreased to 40% of control values. According to the literature Mg-deficient erythrocytes have a decreased survival time which is likely to be the cause of the observed haemolysis.